


Let's See Who Has it Easy

by pentagrarn



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Alternate Universe - Boarding School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Family Drama, Fluff, Multi, Nightmares, Nonbinary Character, Nonbinary Kurapika, Parties
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-11
Updated: 2015-04-11
Packaged: 2018-03-11 18:25:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3332180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pentagrarn/pseuds/pentagrarn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hunter Academy is a prestigious boarding school and applicants are very lucky to get in. Gon is accepted and departs on his academic course.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Arival

"I'm lost on the first day?" Gon shifted his overly stuffed backpack and quizzically stared at his schedule. He had been home schooled for the entirety of his academic life and had finally convinced his aunt to let him try out for Hunter Academy Boarding School, but of course he had no idea what he had gotten himself into. He sighed and scratched his head. He had no idea how to navigate this building.

"Need some help?" He looked up to see an older kid with blonde hair smiling at him with an extended hand. Gon nodded and shook it. He felt comfort in the jingling bracelets the kid had on their wrists.

"Yeah, I'm completely lost." He handed them his schedule. He noticed another figure approaching them. This guy looked way older than him. The blonde kid glanced over the schedule and handed it back.

"I'm Kurapika by the way and I'm heading in that direction too, I'll show you the way!" Kurapika stole a quick glance behind them to see the older student. "And this is my friend Leorio."

"I'm Gon!" Gon smiled. He thanked Kurapika for the help.

"What grades are you in?"

Kurapika smiled back, "I'm in my first year of high school, Leorio is a second year." Leorio nodded and flashed a wry smile at Gon.

"You must be in middle school!" Leorio started walking followed by the other two. Gon nodded again. He heard the clanking of Kurapika's jewelry as they walked. They were sure fashionable. The three of them made smalltalk and walked relatively slowly. Gon found out that Kurapika was room mates with Leorio, and had quite a few classes with him even though they were in different grades. It seemed like Kurapika was really smart. He also found out that they were nonbinary and used they pronouns.  Leorio was studying to become a doctor. Gon thought the job suited him well. He looked like someone who was willing to help people even though he insisted it was because the job paid well. There were many other students filling in the halls as they meandered through. They all looked smart and athletic. He hoped that he blended in with the rest of them.

"Here we are!" Kurapika gestured to a door on their right. The room number was 99. Gon would remember that. "We are right across the hallway, find me after class and I'll help you find your next one!" Gon thanked the two and ran into the classroom. He sat down in one of the only empty seats. It was the second to last row window seat. He guessed the chair didn't get picked immediately because the window faced the hallway. It seemed the rest of the class had had an easier time finding the way to the classroom. Luckily the teacher had not shown up yet. He stared out the window hoping no one on the other side could see him. Leorio hugged Kurapika before departing to his next class. Gon wished he had a friend like that. Gon actually wished that he had a friend. Maybe Kurapika and Leorio were his friends. Hopefully they could all eat lunch together today. Gon continued to stare out the window, lost in thought. A pale kid wearing an abundance of layers came into view. They had on a dark baseball cap and was riding a brightly colored skateboard. Their messy mop white hair covered their face and peeked out of the hat. The kid stopped and dismounted right in front of the classroom. They swiftly entered the room and took the seat behind Gon faster than humanly possible. Gon wanted to look behind him and introduce himself, but a door in the very back of the class opened and a teacher walked in. They stood at the front of the class and interrupted Gon's plans. The teacher introduced himself as Wing and explained how dorms worked.

"Seeing as this is your first day, I will be giving you a tour during this class."

The class clumped together and followed Wing down the halls and across the school to a cluster of architecture. They seemed to be apartment buildings. Wing explained that these were the places the students lived through their academic careers at Hunter Academy. He started explaining the buildings history but Gon had already started to tune him out. He was more interested in the pale kid holding the skateboard. The group started moving and Gon noticed that the skater hung in the back of the group with their hat pulled down almost to the point where it would cover their eyes. They probably didn’t want to draw attention to themselves so Gon didn’t get to introduce himself. Some of the other kids in his had already sectioned into groups and were chatting amongst themselves. Gon tugged on his backpack straps. Wing stopped the group of kids once more.

“On the top of your schedules you will see a number. That is the number of your dorm room.”

A few kids pulled out their schedules and either rejoiced with their new found friends or pouted while looking left out.

“These arrangements are not set in stone. You may request a roommate later on in the week, but keep in mind all of the things you shipped from home have already arrived and been placed in your respective dorms.”

Some groans resonated in the group but Gon had drowned out his classmates noisiness as he pulled out the crumpled schedule.

“405…” He said under his breath. He heard someone behind him gasp. Something hit the ground and the sound of wheels rolling on the concrete immediately followed. Gon spun around to see the white haired boy before him.

“You’re in room 405?” Gon nodded. Maybe this was his chance to introduce himself. The other boy lifted his hat enough for Gon to see more of his face. A mess of tangled white hair fell into the boys deep blue eyes. He wiped his brow with his forearm and held out the opposite hand.

“Looks like we will be roommates. I’m Killua. Killua Zoldyck.”

“I’m Gon!” He shook the outstretched hand and smiled.

“ _I hope this means I’ve made my first true friend_!”


	2. Newfound Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Killua and Gon check out their dorm and enjoy their first day at school

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter might be a bit messed up please forgive me im on mobile right now :(

Room 405 wasn’t very far from what Killua imagined. Two bedframes with empty mattresses were pushed up against opposite walls. The floor was worn down wood with a rug that looked like it has seen its best years ages ago laid out in the center. Two identical desks with nothing but a lamp on top were also facing opposite walls. The rest of the room was bare except cardboard boxes piled in various places. They were labeled with the last names of the boys. Kilua realized that he had many more boxes than Gon. _"Maybe that means he won’t take up very much room.”_ Killua positioned his skateboard against the wall.

“Well I guess I wasn’t expecting much.” He took another scan of the room. Gon had already claimed the bed on the right side of the room by throwing his backpack down on the mattress. Books were spilling out but Gon didn’t seem to care. He was rummaging through the boxes. Killua ambled over to the other bed and dumped his backpack there as well. Instead of mimicking Gon’s actions he sat on mattress and watched the other boy excitedly make his bed with worn sheets. Killua leaned back on the bed. He was actually ecstatic to be here, away from his family, and from what he could tell Gon seemed to be pretty nice, but in order to stay low on the radar he had to keep his cool. He knew his brother was in his last year at the school and he didn’t want unnecessary attention from him. Next year maybe he could be super popular or be the leader of a club. Next year he could be best friends with Gon. _"I just have to wait for now.”_ He traced his finger on the stitching on the mattress.

“I’m done!” Gon looked really proud of himself. The bed wasn’t exactly made but for a middle school boy, it looked fine. “Aren’t you going to make yours?”

“Nah. I’ll do it later.” Killua sat up and stretched.

“So I know we are in the same grade, but how old are you?” Gon looked eager to hear the answer to his question, even though it was pretty much small talk.

“I’ll be thirteen soon. What about you?”

“Me too!” Killua had guessed as much, but Gon seemed happy to be talking to him so he tried to look engaged in their conversation.

“Are you friends with anyone here already?” Killua shook his head.

“My brother goes here but I haven’t seen him.” He immediately regretted his decision to say that.

“What? Why wouldn’t he be here to greet you?”

_“Because I didn’t tell him I was coming." "_ You don’t have a brother do you?”

“Nope. I am an only child.” Gon looked a little sentimental. Killua gave a fake, wry smile.

“I have 4 siblings.” Gons eyes widened.

“That’s a lot of siblings!” Killua nodded. Gon sighed and stood up.

“I guess its good that you are getting a break then.” Killua stood up as well. He was glad Gon understood, even if he didn’t know the whole story. Killua smiled for real this time and nodded again. Maybe he wouldn’t wait until next year to be friends with him.

“Alright class! I hope you remember how to get to your rooms, because class is over! Now you have lunch!” Wings voice echoed through the building. Excited cries rang out immediately after.

“Wanna eat lunch together?” Killua suggested as he grabbed his backpack. Gon gave an ecstatic nod. The two rushed towards the door. Killua almost grabbed his skateboard but was stopped short.

“Let's race to the lunch area!” Killua smiled and left the skateboard as Gon slammed the door shut behind them.

_________________

Kurapika scanned the empty classroom. The class had probably gone to take a tour of the school. They had forgotten that Wing would let the kids into their rooms to get a feel for the new campus. They sighed and decided to head towards their boyfriends class. Maybe they would convince him to wait by room 99 for Gon to return. It wasn't likely though. When Leorio was hungry he would want to head straight to lunch. They turned around to head down the hallway but halted after their first step. Gon and a pale child were sprinting through the empty hall towards the cafeteria.

"Hi Kurapika!" Gon hollered as he darted past them, closely followed by the other.

_"What the hell?"_ Kurapika had never seen two children run that fast. Forgetting all about their original goal they turned to follow the two middle schoolers. _"Does Gon even know where the cafeteria is?"_ Kurapika picked up the pace. They made it about two classroom spaces down the hall.

"Babe what did I do?!" Kurapika stopped once again to see their boyfriend running after them.

"Nothing! I was running after Gon!"

"That kid with the spiky green tipped hair from this morning?"

"Yeah that's Gon." Leorio was now caught up with his bae. He was out of breath.

"How far did you run?" Kurapika continued to briskly walk to lunch.

"All the way from my class."

"Leorio that is three doors away." He laughed, still painting. "Yeah I guess it is." He caught up with Kurapika and smiled. They had just met Gon this morning but was already going into their protective parent mode. He loved that quality. Kurapika was the most loyal person he had ever met. On top of that they were adorable and even if they weren't in a romantic relationship he would still want to be close friends with them. He was a lucky man. Kurapika started walking quickly again. They had spotted Gon and the white haired kid lying down, out of breath in front of the cafeteria.

"I won!" Gon had an ear to ear grin on his face.

"Next time, I swear I'll beat you!" The others expression matched Gons.

"Maybe, Killua, just maybe." The two erupted into laughter.

"You two almost gave me a heart attack!" Kurapika had their hands on their hips.

"Sorry!" Gon kept laughing.

"I'm Kurapika by the way." They held out one a hand to the other.

"I'm Killua." He shook Kurapika's hand. "Who's that?" He pointed to Leorio who was once again panting like he had run a marathon.

"That's my nerd boyfriend Leorio."

"I'm not a nerd, you nerd!" Gon laughed harder for a few seconds and shouted

"I knew it!"

_"That's right we didn't tell him that we were dating."_ Kurapika made an apologetic face and nodded.

"So are you going to eat with us?" Leorio asked the two younger kids. They both nodded excitedly. The four entered the cafeteria. They were kind of late so the line for food wasn't too long. The four got their meals fairly quickly and Kurapika lead them to a small group of people who were already sitting at a table.

"New meat!" A muscular boy with a ridiculous haircut shouted. He probably would've scared the smaller children if he wasn't wearing a shirt with a bunch of cartoon puppies on it.

"Knuckle don't scare them!" The boy sitting next to him looked mortified by his friends behavior. Gon and Killua were unsure of what to do so they let Kurapika introduce them to the rest of the group. The four sat down. The group was definitely not the largest in the cafeteria but it was still pretty big. Across from the four, there was Knuckle, the muscular dog lover who had greeted them, Shoot, knuckles timid friend and next to him was Palm, a frail girl with long curly black hair. On another side was Banana, Spinner and Monta. Across from them was Podungo, Stick and Lin. There was another seat next to them but it was empty. Other seats were empty too, but this one seemed out of place.

"Where's Kite?" Leorio asked between bites.

"He's sitting with the Kings group." Spinner spoke up, putting air quotes on "The Kings" and then blew a bubble with her gum. Kurapika rolled their eyes. Gon and Killua kept quiet and let the members of the group explain their unasked questions.

"Doesn't that kid who likes cats have a crush on him?" Leorio asked.

"Pitou? Yeah they've been following him around for a while." Knuckle didn't look happy as he supplies that information. Small talk continued throughout lunch and there wasn't another mention of "The Kings" group.

_____________

Killua really wanted to know what the name meant, and why it put such a sour taste in everyone's mouth. He kept his mouth shut until the bell rang. "See you later"s and compliments about Gon and Killua were passed around.

_"We didn't do anything but I guess that means we have a place to eat."_ Killua was antsy to ask about "The Kings" group. Leorio and Kurapika filtered through the rest and joined Him and Gon. He didn't even get a chance to talk when Gon blurted out the question that was on his mind.

"What's The Kings group?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This AU is pretty common but it's my baby and you guys mighty hate me by the end of it.


	3. First Sleepover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurapika brings a sliver of hunter academy's history back to life and some of Killua's more unfortunate memories are revealed.

"The king is a guy named Meruem. He's not really a bad guy he kind of just inherited his popularity from his cousin. Everyone called her the queen. She graduated two years ago. She was a huge jerk. Especially to Kite. Knuckle, Shoot and Palm too but mostly just to Kite. She had a boyfriend named Colt for a while but they broke up and he hung out with us from then on. " Leorio paused his explanation. The two youngsters were wide eyed. He had made them wait until class was out for the day to hear the whole story. The four new found friends were sitting in a grassy area next to the dorms."So the queen had three annoying kids in my year that followed her around everywhere. Ones named Pitou and they wear a beanie or headband with cat ears pretty much every day. They also say 'Nya' a lot. It's kind of annoying but you get used to it. The other two are named Youpi and Pouf. Youpi is amazing at sports but has quite the temper." Leorio continued and Kurapika nodded in agreement to his descriptions. Killua and Gon were still listening intently.

"Pouf is a really talented musician but he lies a lot." Kurapika picked up where Leorio left off.

"They had a huge group but those three members were the worst. If I remember correctly they almost got expelled a few times." Kurapika bit their lip, obviously deep in thought.

"The principle is keeping an eye on the king now. I don't think that he's going to cause much trouble. He doesn't seem that bad and he has an eye on that blind girl right?" Leorio stole back his speaking role. Kurapika nodded.

"So now Pitou has a thing for Kite?" Killua seemed eager to gossip.

"I guess." Kurapika replied. They still seemed a little withdrawn.

"So are there any other groups groups we should look out for?" Gon's question seemed more innocent than Killua's.

"There's a group of kids that kinda seem on the more edgy side. They call themselves the Phantoms." Kurapika snapped back into the conversation with Leorio's answer.

"Don't hang around with them. You'll get yourselves in huge trouble." There was no mistaking the fear and anger in Kurapika's eyes. Gon and Killua tensed up and nodded. Leorio put his arm around Kurapika.

"You might need to give them a reason now." He pulled them closer to him.

"My friend got expelled because he got mixed in with that group. They through a party off campus and..." They hesitated and huddled closer to Leorio. "He's in jail now, and it's not his fault. The 'leader' framed him for everything that went down at the party." Gon's expression turned from worried to slightly terrified. Kurapika shook their head, eyes wide. "No no! I didn't mean to scare you!" Gon nodded and his expression softened a bit. Killua still looked a bit worried but not with the story. He looked more concerned for Gon. Leorio was desperate for a subject change.

"So... What dorm are you two in?"

"405!" Killua caught on to Leorio's intentions immediately.

"You're kidding..." Kurapika was grinning once more. Killua shook his head to say he was telling the truth. Gon mimicked Killua's actions.

"We are right next to you guys!" Leorio was happy the subject had changed. Gon's full face grin had returned, and he had completely forgotten about being scared.

"Yep! Room 404." Leorio smiled.

"Well then we could've just gone back to our rooms to have this conversation." Killua caught on to the contagious grinning and picked at the grass. "I guess you're right." Kurapika stood up, slinging their backpack over their shoulder. The rest of them followed behind back to the dorms.

_______

"So we have neighbors now." Leorio leaned back on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Oh shut up! It's not like we did anything when we didn't." Kurapika laid down next to their boyfriend. Leorio grinned and shifted his position to look at his partner. The two barely ever slept in separate beds anymore. It seemed like years since Kurapika had needed to make theirs. They never did anything that violated school rules, but there was nothing in the rule books against cuddling and goodnight kisses. Leorio's hand was now messing absentmindedly with Kurapika's shoulder length hair. Kurapika blushed and started fiddling with their jewelry.

"You were acting like their mom today." Leorio teased.

"Then you're their dad." Kurapika replied with a wry smile.

"They are cute kids. Let's adopt them when we graduate."

"Sounds great." The couple was laughing now. Kurapika had stopped playing with their jewelry and had their arms around their boyfriend and pulled him in closer until their foreheads were touching.

"You're a really cute kid too." Leorio had ceased his laughter and pressed his lips against the others. The kiss didn't last very long because Kurapika started giggling again. As if to apologize they tightened their grip for a few seconds before letting go.

"Hey it's late." They said as they peeled themselves off the bed and started unbuttoning their shirt. Somewhere along the line they had purchased a laundry basket which was going to be filled soon. They tossed their shirt in and walked over to the closet and grabbed one of Leorio's shirts. They had it half way on when they felt Leorio's hands guiding the shirt the rest of the way down. Leorio had them in embrace from behind.

"That's mine you know." He kissed Kurapika on the cheek.

"Yeah. And you're mine, so technically it's ours." He rolled his eyes and walked into the bathroom to brush his teeth. Kurapika disregarded their skirt and missed the laundry basket by a long shot. They shrugged and removed their jewelry and left in on their desk. They turned off the light and crawled into bed to wait for Leorio. It didn’t take very long. Leorio fumbled about in the dark and a few profanities were muttered before his arms were once again around Kurapika’s waist. They smiled at the familiar sensation and relaxed into his embrace.

________

"Stop it Gon! I'm trying to make my bed!" All four of the rooms pillows had hit Killua and had accumulated in a pile next to his bed.

"You should've done it earlier!" Gon was bouncing up and down on his bed, already in his pajamas.

"Where do you get all of this energy?" Killua yawned. He hadn't expected this day to be as tiring as it had been.

"I'm excited! It'll be like my first sleepover!" Killua found it hard to believe that this was his first sleepovers but he played along.

"It'll be mine too but I'm not bouncing off the walls!" Gon pouted.

"Hurry up! We can tell scary stories until midnight and-" Killua had thrown back one of the pillows.

"Do not keep me up that late, please." Gon gave another huge smile and nodded. Killua sighed. Maybe Gon wouldn't be the chill roommate he expected. He finished his sloppily made bed and changed into his pajamas in the bathroom. Killua looked at himself in the mirror. His hair was marred from being crammed into a hat for the majority of the day and his eyes had dark circles under them. Had he looked like this all day? He roughly ran his fingers through his hair a few times. That looked a little a better. He turned off the bathroom light and the lamps on the desks. He wasn't surprised to see Gon sound asleep. He smirked and buried himself under the covers. He hung on to one of his pillows and let his eyes close. His mind immediately went where he didn't want it to go. He'd been having the same nightmare for a while now. Ever since his sister had passed away. He would never forget the way her eyes looked. They were sunken in and lost their shine completely. Her immune system had been compromised since she was a baby and when she was born his parents told him not to get to attached because she might not live very long. Killua didn't take that to heart because of his young age. He knew was the only family member that truly loved her. The rest of the family didn't cry as much as he did when she died. His mom had later told him that she had a twin but the baby died before she was born. Killua had cried even more when he was told that. So for the past few years he had saw Alluka’s sickly face in his dreams, asking him to play with him. Something prodded him in the rib.

"Killua wake up!" He opened his eyes to see Gon on the verge of tears.

"What's wrong?" Killua sat up.

"You were crying in your sleep and it scared me!" Killua felt hot and he knew his face was red from embarrassment, but Gon was right. He had been crying. He wiped his eyes on his shirt sleeve only to have them pool with more hot tears. He started to sniffle and Gon looked a little shaken. What was he supposed to do in this situation? He remembered what Leorio had done when Kurapika had felt emotional earlier in the day, so he threw his arms around Killua. Killua sobbed into Gons shoulder, soaking it with his snot and tears.

“Hey, hey you’re awake it was a dream.” Gon gently squeezed Killua to let him know that it was okay. He heard Killua’s sobs stop for a few seconds as he caught his breath.

“I know, I know, I’m sorry I’m…” He started to cry again, more softly this time.“I just need to get a hold of myself.” He hung on to Gon and buried his face into Gon’s shoulder once more.

“You can talk about it with me if that’s what you want. Or I could just stay here…” Killua tightened his grip as that was said. He nodded but didn’t raise his head.

"You know how I said I have 4 siblings?" His voice was projected into Gon’s now damp shirt.

“Mhm.”

"Well that's not completely true."

_______

"So how long am I going to have to wait until you introduce me to your brother?" Hisoka whined.

"It's like you don't want me to meet your family." Illumi knew it wasn't going to be easy to ignore him for much longer.

"Yeah I don't think my family would approve of my juggalo boyfriend."

"Hey! You know I don't listen to that stuff. I am offended."

"You sure fooled everyone else in the world."

"I'm just expressing myself, the way I should." Hisoka frowned and leaned against the other."I'm being serious. When are you going to talk to him." Illumi looked at the ground.

"When he wants to talk to me." An exasperated sigh came from Hisoka.

"You're no fun at all."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahh yeah so don't get used to this fast updating, but if you wanna message me about this fic follow my tumblr!  
> it's the same as my username here


	4. Kite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kite arrives and Killua learns new things about his roomate.

Three faces unfamiliar to the younger boys showed up at the lunch table in the next few weeks. Melody, a small girl who shared a similar music taste with Leorio had shown up after going on a trip with the academies orchestra. Ponzu and her boyfriend, Pokkle had meandered into their group after a few weeks of hanging with the Phantoms, and had ultimately left because they had heard about the events in the years prior. They were all friendly, but there wasn't a sign of Kite until a month into the school year. He had arrived with an apologetic smile and was greeted with open arms. Killua was surprised by this reaction but he didn't speak up. It turned out that Kite was not seeing Pitou and had some interesting news to share about the King's group.    
"They seem to have forgotten all about the Queen. Pitou and Meruem apologized to me. Of course I was wary of this at first but those two seemed to be genuinely sorry." Killua had a hard time believing Kite was bullied. He was tall and slender and spoke with a stoic voice.    
"If I have all of your approval Pitou would like to meet you all and apologize for anything they had done when the queen was still attending." No one objected to the idea but some asked a few more questions.   


 

"Have they completely dissolved as a clique?" Shoot had asked.    


 

"They seem to be." Kite had answered and everyone looked somewhat relieved. Kite had then noticed Gon and Killua. Well mostly just Gon, but Killua was completely okay with being overlooked. Kite was the same age as his brother. He didn't want unwanted attention in that department.    


 

"Are you Gon Freecs?"    


 

"Yes! I started here last month!"    


 

"Your father used to teach here? Didn't he?" Gon nodded with his eyes wide and sparkling which made  Killua feel like the worst friend in the world. Gon had asked about his family, but he had never tried to pick up the subject. 

  
"Your father was a huge inspiration to me. He's the one who got me to apply." 

  
"That's amazing! I've never met him but my aunt told me that teaching at this school is what he wanted to do most in this world." The table had fallen silent at this point. Killua proceeded to feel even worse about his social skills. He had just been spouting off to Gon about how much he hated his family, and that he was so relieved to be away. But here Gon was, and he hadn't even met his father. Killua felt sick.   


 

"I hope you can meet him one day. He's one interesting man, but he's a hell of a teacher." Gon's eyes widened to a point that shouldn't have been possible. 

  
"I hope..." At this point the bell rang and the group separated. Killua stayed with Gon and listened to him talk about his father. Gon was homeschooled by his aunt and had never met either of his biological parents. /"I'll ask about his home when class lets out."/ Killua had promised himself.    
  
_______   
  
"Kite seems a little different, but maybe that's because he doesn't have to worry about the Kings group anymore." Kurapika started speaking their mind while walking back to the dorms with Leorio. They started to put their hair into a ponytail.    


 

"You're probably right. He seemed to like Gon though." Something inside Kurapika clicked with Leorio's response.

  
"That's the first time Gon had spoke about his dad."

  
"It's the first time someone asked." Kurapika frowned. 

  
"That's true." They gave up on the ponytail and let their hair fall to their shoulders. 

"Maybe we _should_ adopt them." Leorio chuckled. 

  
"Maybe." They had arrived at their door.    
"Wow! You seriously caught the biggest fish in the lake?!" 

  
"Yep!" 

  
"That's awesome!"

  
The couple laughed as they heard two boys in the other room talking about Gon's accomplishment. Kurapika knocked on door and the door opened with two smiling twelve year olds behind it. 

  
"You guys better not be up all night." Gon and Killua nodded. Leorio gave the boys a grin before letting his partner close the door. He opened the door to his room and collapsed on the bed. 

  
"They are going to be up all night again aren't they?" He said into the pillow. 

  
"Yep." Kurapika sat down at their desk and began doing the homework that they had almost finished in class.  Leorio changed into a less formal t-shirt and flannel pants.   
  
____________   
  
Killua didn't want to go to sleep. He had been having nightmares less frequently, but he was reminded of the ordeal by bringing up Gon's past. He watched his friends sleeping form and felt comfort in the fact that he could call him a friend. It turned out that Gon was also home schooled until applying here. So maybe he was Gon's first real friend, just as Gon was his first real friend. He sighed and laid on his back. He and Gon had set up glow in the dark stars on the ceiling of their room. Their dorm had become less of a blank room and more like a place he called home. He loved it here. He loved learning with other kids and hanging out with his friends, but he really loved being friends with Gon. He sighed again. 

  
"Killua I know you're awake." 

  
"Sorry!" He whispered back to his roommate. 

  
"It's okay I can't sleep either." 

  
"We need to though." 

  
"Ugh..." Gon shifted his position and the bed creaked underneath him. Killua heard a thud followed by quick footsteps as Gon headed to Killua's bed. Killua sat up and pulled the covers away so Gon could climb in. This wasn't the first time he had done this, in fact they slept in the same bed almost once a week. Gon climbed and the two laid down, backs facing each other. 

  
"Are you having another nightmare?" 

  
"No not this time." Killua cracked his knuckles. "I haven't had on in a while."

  
"That's good." Gon sounded preoccupied. Killua was itching for one or both of them to turn around. Maybe for face to face communicating or maybe one of them to wrap their arms around the other. _"Gon would think you're clingy if you do that."_

_   
_ "What did you think of Kite?" Gon whispered. 

  
"He was interesting." 

  
"I talked to him before I came back here." Gon's tone was somewhat apologetic, but it seemed like he still wasn't present in the conversation.

  
"He's the head of the Hunter club. They go off campus some times to do charity work and stuff like that." 

  
"Are you going to sign up?" It didn't interest Killua that much, but it might be a good way to fight off boredom. He'd probably look into it himself later.

  
"Yeah. Do you want to do it with me?" Killua was kind of anticipating that question. He would definitely, but he decided on, "I'll think about it." He felt movement behind him and then had Gon's small but strong arms around his waist. 

  
"Okay." Gon pressed his forehead against Killua's now stuff back. Killua's heart-rate sped up and he attempted to relax in their new arrangement. 

  
"Hey we should probably get to sleep Gon." Gon nodded against Killuas back. Goosebumps speckled Killua's arms. He shivered and Gon pulled him closer.

  
"Goodnight Killua."

  
"Good night." Killua closed his eyes, but didn't go to sleep immediately. He wanted to snuggle even closer to Gon, though his back was already pressed against Gon's upper half. He knew full well this wasn't something friends would normally do, but Gon was definitely the kind of kid who would take a ton of romantic steps with friends and not perceive them that way, but Killua wanted him to. He probably thought of Gon as more than a friend from a start. He wanted to be able to call Gon his boyfriend or give him goodnight kisses or hug him the way Kurapika hugged Leorio. _"But that isnt going to happen anytime soon."_   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am actually a chapter ahead and I finished this one a few days ago, so as of right now the chapters should update frequently!


	5. Crush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gon and Illumi talk about their feelings

Gon stared at the ceiling above Killua's bed. The glow in the dark star stickers were less noticeable in the light, which just made counting them a better way to occupy Gons mind. His hands were crossed on top of the pillow he had laying on his chest.

_"36 stars."_ He gripped the pillow. Of course there were 36 stars. That's how many were in the box they had bought them in. Gon lifted the pillow and brought it back down on his face.

"Gahhhhhh...!" He said into it. He rolled on to his stomach.

"I'm going to mess this up.." He whispered to the pillow. It smelled like chocolate and Killua's shampoo. Inhaling that scent earned another exaggerated groan followed by mindlessly kicking into the mattress. This was what Aunt Mito described as a crush. A crush on his best and first friend.

"Stupid..."

_"He's your friend not your boyfriend!."_ He didn't dare say that out loud. Killua was in the shower, and that room was directly behind the thin wall that the bed backed up to. Gon continued to grip the pillow. He listened to the muffled sound of water splashing on the shower floor. Killua was humming a song that Gon didn't know, but it seemed to fit the sound of the water nicely.

_"Your friend."_ He reminded himself. He groaned for a third time. He heard a pound on the wall and the shower ceased.

_"Shoot I should be ready!"_ Gon flung himself off the bed and threw on a pair of shorts and a jacket over his pajama shirt. He pretended to occupy himself by brushing his hair. He never paid much attention to it, it kinda stuck up in spikes on its own. He had begged his aunt to let him dye it, and she had let him dye the tips green a few days before he had left for the academy. He had decided he liked the look and stocked up on cheap green hair dye immediately after dying. He had yet to re-dye but it was still a deep green that complimented his brown eyes well.

His attempt to look preoccupied had resulted in him being completely lost in this train of thought, so much so that he didn't notice Killua walking out of the connected bathroom.

"Finally brushing your hair?" Killua was drying his own, with Gons towel.

"That's mine!" He almost went to tackle Killua for it but realized that the only thing Killua had on was his own towel, so he stopped. Killua stuck his tongue out at Gon as he made his way to the closet.

_____________

Class was easy for Illumi. He passed every semester with outstanding grades, as he expected from day one. His parents were excellent teachers, ones that he had the highest respect for. His family had been homeschooling for generations, but usually let the brightest of the children decide where they wanted to attend high school. Illumi knew that he would need a prestigious schools name on his record of he wanted the freedom to choose the university he would attend. His family had the money to pay a considerable amount of fees, so that wasn't an issue.

Deep down Illumi knew he would adopt the family business, but he would try to be on the top of the Zoldyck family, and so far he was. Almost. The minute Killua was old enough to talk he knew that his younger brother would be favored. His parents doted on him and were extremely over protective of the emotional rebel that was Killua. Illumi wasn't worried about the attention taken off of him, but rather what would become of the Zoldyck business if Killua was put at the head. The thought gave Illumi chills but he respected his parents impulses and therefor protected his brother.

Illumi had been withdrawn from the social scene for most of his Hunter academy experience. He had acquaintances and people who owed him favors but he never really someone that he felt an emotional attachment to until he met Hisoka. He was a showy boy with an outrageous fashion sense. He was a surprisingly good student but was unliked by most of the students because of his sketchy personality. Illumi has found himself drawn to him, but never acted on the urges to become friends with him. They had been assigned as roommates his second year of high school. The two had become allies instantly. Illumi began to explore his sexuality with Hisoka, and now they were in a long standing relationship. Illumi knew his parents would not approve of Hisoka. He was loud and unreliable, nothing like Illumi. He was now keeping a secret from his family. Something that he had never done before. Now Killua was at this school as well, and the secret would get out. Illumi wanted to greet his brother and protect him for the family's sake, but the secret would get out and Killua would be able to hold something against him.

Illumi pondered these thoughts as he walked to his usually lunch seat, which was shady and hidden from Killua's view. But Hisoka wasn't there, and Illumi knew exactly where he was. He dropped his tray and marched over to his asshole boyfriend who was currently chatting with his brother and the weird green kid that followed Killua around.

"Hey bro." Killua's wry smile that Illumi knew all too well greeted him. "Glad to see you've made a friend."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im so sorry this took so long i was mega busy with school!


	6. Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pitou makes an appearence and Meruems side of the story is revealed.

Pitou had never been this nervous in their entire life. Meruem had asked them to apologize to the ones they and their friends had wronged and they wanted to please him. They had the upmost respect for Meruem even if his actions weren't always what the close knit group agreed with. That's why Pitou was the only member of their clique to be sitting at a table full of people who probably didn't want anything to do with them. It also didn't make anything easier when there was outside drama happening in front of them, and all they could do was watch. 

 

The white haired kid that literally looked like his hair had been electrocuted was being interrogated by a flamboyant fashion disaster. They had overheard him being called Hisoka. The blonde kid next to him looked a little passed off and the boy on the other side looked as uncomfortable as Pitou felt. Never the less, they were on a mission, so they decided to keep their mouth shut until the problem was solved. Kite had probably picked up on how lost they felt, so he had given them an apologetic look while staying quiet as well.This made Pitou a little more confident. They smiled at Kite to let him know that they were alright. 

 

Pitou's eyes wondered over to Meruem and the rest of their comrades. The girl Meruem had taken an interest in sat beside him with a huge smile on her face. She looked kind of sickly but Pitou could tell that she enjoyed spending time with Meruem. That was probably good for him. Their eyes continued to scan for Pouf and Youpi, their closest friends. They both had distasteful looks on their faces. Pouf had the hugest crush on Meruem it was almost embarrassing. Youpi and Pitou had respect for the kid but Pouf was just down right in love with him. That's probably why Pouf was currently on the verge of tears as Meruem laughed along side his romantic interest. Youpi was most likely concerned for Meruems social status. Dating the blind girl who was captain of the board game club would definitely knock the king off of his "king" title. Pitou thought this to be true as well, though they didn't have a lot of strong feelings about it. Meruems happiness was their goal and Komugi made him happy so they didn't see the harm. 

 

Or maybe their reasoning for not caring was that they had a crush of their own. They new that highschool relationships would probably not last very long, but Kite was a really good guy. He was kinda stoic but still tried to please his friends. That's what Pitou wanted. 

 

They were lost in thought and hardly noticed the shocked gasps as a senior with long straight hair hastily pulled away Hisoka. Hisoka gave a wave to white haired boy and a gross flirtatious wink at kid next to him. The white haired boy looked confused and somewhat relieved. On the other hand, everyone else looked extremely uncomfortable. The attention was off them though. Pitou let out a breath they had been holding in. _"Just a few more minutes left of break and then I never have to talk to these people again."_

 

They looked down at their plate of untouched food. They looked back to Kite, who had just tried to start having a conversation with the green kid.    


 

"Gon you're joining the hunter club next week right?" Gon nodded enthusiastically.   


 

"What about you, Killua?" The white haired boy replied with a half hearted "I think so." and shoved a forkful of his food in his mouth. Kite grinned and looked around. "So everyone here is a member now? Hopefully I can get Pitou to join."    


 

_"Shit."_ Pitou forcefully laughed. "Maybe..."    


 

"Alright!" 

 

The uncomfortable air was lifted and small talk between the group resumed. Pitou slumped on their chair and tried to not glare at Kite. Even if they wanted to join, it's not like they could. No one wanted to be around them because of their past experiences. Sure they had been irrationally rude and violent. They could admit their wrongdoings but they weren't about to beg for forgiveness either.    


 

"Pitou." Kurapika had their gaze on them now. "Everyone here accepts your apology, and we all look forward to having you in the Hunter club."   


 

Pitou had no idea how to respond but they had an unforced grin on their face.    


 

"I told you they would." Kite smiled.   


 

"Thank you..." They managed to get out.    


 

The bell saved them from further conversation. Everyone was rushing to get back to class so no one noticed them slipping back to Meruems side.   
  
________   
  
Leaving a not for Gon on his desk, Killua bolted out of class the minute it was over. He had to give his brother a talking to. He was secretly relieved that they had finally had made contact, even if it had only been for a few brief moments. He ran with everything he had, checking the sloppy room number he had written on the back of his hand when Hisoka had mentioned it. He wanted to get their before both of them, or at least before Illumi. He needed to explain before his parents were contacted.   


 

Room 44    


 

He leaned against the door, out of breath. He panted and contemplated sitting down, but that would give him a physical disadvantage if Illumi showed up. So he propped himself against the door and focused on regaining his ability to breath. Footsteps were coming down the hall. Illumi. His steps were light. He probably didn't want to be heard. Boy was he in for a surprise.    


 

"Kil I could hear your staggered breathing from downstairs." 

  
_"Dammit I lost the element of surprise."_ "Shit."

  
"Don't curse, you're only twelve."

  
"Oh shut up." 

  
Illumi raised his eyebrow and gave Killua his signature big brother stare.

  
"So why are you standing in the doorway of my room?"

  
"Hisoka-"

  
"Fuck!" Illumi covered his mouth, dropping a book in the process. This through Killua into a fit of laughter. He'd never seen his brother this flustered. 

  
"Do mom and dad know?" Killua asked after a glare had ceased his giggles.

  
"What do you think?"

  
Killua shook his head. His parents were extremely over protective. They pitched a fit when Illumi left. If they knew that he was dating someone as over the top as Hisoka, they would probably kick him out of the family business. He knew how much being part of that meant to his brother, and as much as he despised Illumi, he felt sorry for him.

  
"How did you convince them to let you go here?"

  
"Well I'm kicked out of the families will as of this moment..."

  
"And that means nothing to you?" 

  
"Illumi the minute I step foot on our property again they will welcome me with open arms and tears streaking down their faces."

  
It was true. Killua had "ran away" many times before. Of course they always punished him for leaving without permission, they were always quick to welcome him back. The one time they did get angry was when Alluka died. Killua was gone for at least a month and could've gone for another with the money he had stolen. He had been yelled at and had all of his personally belongings taken away for half a year but the other members of his family constantly told him that they were glad he was back.   
"It must be nice being the favorite." Illumi's tone lacked all emotion. It pretty much always did, but Killua had upset him. Purposely. 

  
"I don't know why they didn't just chose you to be the families heir, you practically do anything they tell you."

  
"You should too, we are your family."

  
"So now it's 'we'? If they find out about Hisoka-"

  
"They won't."

  
Killua nodded. 

  
"Sure they won't."

  
"Killua I am willing to make a deal with you."

  
"What do I get if I don't tell them about your boyfriend who likes ICP?"

  
"I won't tell them about the green one." Killua's face drained of what little color it had.

  
"How do you know about Gon!? And I'm not dating him."

  
"Hisoka is not only a master of gossip, but also of observation."

  
"What did he observe about our FRIENDSHIP?" 

  
"Well the short answer is he likes you. And you hide your emotions well enough that he couldn't tell that your feelings are mutual."

  
Killua punched his brother in the stomach with all of his strength. Illumi didn't give him the satisfaction of a response.

  
"Fine." Killua said through gritted teeth. 

  
Clapping resonated through the tiny hallway.

  
"I didn't know you were so spunky!" Hisoka said as he approaches him.

  
"Screw you dude." Killua glared at his brother and started to walk away. He heard Hisoka say a sarcastic, "He seems nice." and Illumi groaning in response.

  
Why had he gotten so angry? Why wasn't he phased by the mentions of his parents but when Gon was brought up he became an emotional wreck? He clenched his fist and dragged his feet back to his dorm.   
  
________    
  
Everything she did made Meruem flustered. At first he was disgusting by her constant sneezing and the cold she couldn't shake, but now her flushed cheeks and runny nose were endearing and added to the overall adorable girl Komugi was. And this made Meruem confused. All his life he had been turning down dates left and right. He had always failed to show up to the dates "The Queen" had oh so lovingly arranged for him. He didn't want the added stress of a token relationship in his new school. Komugi had changed his mind completely. He wanted nothing more than to make her happy so he could see her cute smile. He wanted to tell her how much that meant to him, and explain how beautiful it was because she couldn't see it for herself. But his comrades were completely opposed to this. It wasn't that he cared about their opinions on the matter, it was just that could and would make her life utter hell if they wanted to. 

  
Why was he even friends with those guy in the first place? 

  
Despite the fact that be may be putting Komugi in danger, he still hung out with her. He was now lying face down on his bed trying to figure out his dilemma. He heard the door open. His roommate Pouf was going to start playing sad songs on the violin in harmony with his tears. It was a daily routine that Meruem would never get used to. He groaned into the mattress. 

 

The violin hadn't started to play. Instead the bed springs bounced as Pouf sat dangerously close to him on the bed.    
"What do you want?" Meruem sat up to see that Pouf was indeed, sobbing.

  
"Meruem have I not been loyal to you?"

  
"Well you have..."

  
"Then why must you seek companionship from that girl?!"

  
Meruem cupped his face in his hands. 

  
"You can probably tell why." Pouf shifted to embrace Meruem. 

  
"It's okay, I can give you the love that you desire."

  
"Pouf it's like that. I like you and you've been a great roommate it's just..."

  
"Don't say another word." Pouf kissed Meruem on the cheek. 

  
"Pouf what are you doing?!"

  
"That is what you want right?"

  
"Not from you, you're my friend!"

  
"But you are feeling the need for romance."

  
Pouf pushed Meruem on his back and laid softly on top of him.

  
"Pouf get off of me." Meruem was well aware of their difference in strength. 

  
Pouf looked down and realized what he was doing.

  
"I'm so sorry." He pulled himself away and stood next to the bed. 

  
"I'll leave."    
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELL im sorry this took waaaayy to long !


	7. Break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gon and Leorio take a school holiday and head back home and leave Killua and Kurapika to themselves

Club sign ups went by faster than either of the boys expected. Killua assumed that it was because they already knew they were signing up for the "Hunter Association". They had yet to do anything significant in the club, it was kind of just their usual lunch group sitting in an empty classroom talking about the greater good. Killua could probably care less about what they considered the better decisions for the world, but everything seemed to excite his friends and that made him happy. It also made for good conversation between him and Gon when they went back to their dorm room and stayed up ridiculously late. Somehow or another they would end up in the same bed after discussing the destruction of distant rain forests and the rehabilitation of Kite's favorite endangered species. He would wake up with his legs intertwined with Gon's. He hated the way this made his heart beat speed up and he usually ended up smacking Gon with his pillow to wake him up. This was a routine now, one that he was not ready to break.    


But it was time for their first break to go back home. Gon was going to go back to his home and Killua was sitting on his bed watching Gon pack.   


"I know I've asked this before but are you really not going to see your family?"   


"No, I have a feeling if I go I won't be able to come back."   


"Okay. I won't force you, but this came in the mail today."   
Gon shoved the last of his clothes into a suitcase and proceeded to pull out an envelope with Killua's name labeled on it.    


"Why'd you take my mail? Dude that's not cool!" Killua stuck out his tongue and snatched the unopened mail from his friend.    


"Sorry I just.. Well I know you throw the ones from your family out and I just... Wanted you to get this one Ya know? It's the holidays and stuff."   


Killua sighed and ripped the envelope open with his uncut nails. He seriously needed to file them down or something they were getting ridiculous. Gon started to zip his suitcase closed but the sound was completely drowned out by Killua's astonishment. A round trip ticket to his families town and back states back at him, a little crumpled from its journey in Gon's ratty jacket pocket.    
A tear streamed unnoticed down Killua's surprised face.    


"Killua what's wrong?"    


"They're letting me come back..."   
Killua sniffles and wiped his eyes on his sleeve.   


"That's good news!"    


"I'm still not going."   


"I know." Gon gave a forced smile and say down next to Killua on the bed.    


"Hey maybe I'll ask Mito if you can come next vacation."   
Killua wasn't really listening anymore he was just staring at the ticket in his hands wondering why is parents had a change of heart. He had his heart set on not going. That wasn't changing but he was so confused. The ticket was a fake. Most definitely. But Killua knew it wasn't. Maybe his mom had calmed down enough to realize that staying at home wasn't what he wanted. It wasn't likely but why else would he have a plane ticket home and back?    


"Killua are you even listening to me?"   


"Sorry."   


"It's okay. I just wanted to give you something."    
Gon stood up and wrapped his arms around Killua’s thin body and pulled him in. He rested his chin on the top of Kilua’s head. Killua wasn't expecting this but didn't protest.   


"I have to leave in a minute or I'll miss my flight."   


"I'm gunna miss you." Killua said under his breath. He dropped what he was holding and pulled Gon closer to him, keeping them in an embrace. Gon brought his hand up into Killua's hair and ran his fingers down the other boys scalp.   


"Me too."    


It was a really awkward position with Killua’s face squashed into Gons lower chest. Killua was mildly uncomfortable and the slight pain of his nose being pushed into Gons jacket zipper made him want to pull away. Gon had an iron grip on him and that was enough to keep him there.    


"I'm bringing you on the next trip home okay?"   


"Mhm."    


"Okay I need to go, I'll be back in a few days."    


"Bye."   


Killua felt the pressure of Gons lips press down on his head and then before he had a chance to react Gon and grabbed his suitcase and ran out of the room.    
He laid back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. This was going to be a long break.   
_______   
  
Kurapika knew that they wouldn't make it through the long weekend without social interaction, but oh did they want to. Family visits would be so great if it weren't for them being dead. They should be dead to, but they were attending school at the academy and had missed the bombing of their home. A gang had a grudge against the area but the bombing was completely unpredictable. Now Kurapika had inherited what was left in their families will and when they graduated he would be able to live on his own, but when holidays came around they felt utterly alone. Leorio had yet to break the news of their relationship to his family so they couldn't tag along with their boyfriend so the long weekends turned into days of Kurapika lying on their bed or trying to occupy themselves with other things like schoolwork. Their other friends always left to visits their families.   


They were about to curl up on their mattress when they hurt the sound of ripping paper in the room next door. Since there was literally nothing else to do, they got up to inspect the sound and found Killua lying in a nest of paper.    


"Are you okay or?" They asked him.   


"Help."    


"Um can you explain?"   


"My family wanted me to come and he kissed me and it all happened so fast I don't know what's going on so I ripped up the plane ticket."    


"Oh. Wait who kissed you?" Kurapika was extremely confused. They sat next to him on the floor, avoiding the crude confetti that was strewn about.    


"Wait why are you here shouldn't you be-"   


"They're dead."    


"Oh..." Killua looked away as he lifted up a fistful of the paper and let it fall on his stomach. How did he get the pieces so small? Kurapika hadn't realized what a statement they had made. They say waiting for Killua to speak because they didn't know how to follow it up without breaking into tears.    


"I shouldn't have ripped up the ticket. I'm sorry that was rude."    


"No it's fine you didn't know. Sorry for not telling you earlier. But you could tell me why you did it?"   


"I was angry and confused."    


"Fair enough."    


"How did you and Leorio get together?"    


"That's really unrelated Killua."   


"Yeah."    


"Sit up and I'll tell you." Killua did as he was told and a waterful of tiny pieces of paper slid down his shirt and on to the floor. Some stayed stuck in his hair.   


"Okay."    


"Well when I met him I actually thought he was really ignorant and annoying but you can't always judge a book by its cover as they say."   


"I guess."   


"So he was in the Hunter Club last year and I kinda avoided him when I could but one day we went to a medical clinic to volunteer with kids and he was so selfless and endearing I decided to give him a chance and I started talking to him and we became friends pretty fast. I learned he wants to be a doctor when he graduates and that suits him really well. And after we became roommates one thing led to another and we ended up in a relationship."   


"That sounds so good..." Killua sounded lost in thought and Kurapika remembered the mention of kissing at the beginning of their conversation.    


"Was it Gon who kissed you?"   


Killua let out a groan and flopped back into the paper before nodding.    


"Do you like him?"   


"I don't know! Probably?"   


Kurapika tried their best not to laugh. This is exactly how they had felt at the beginning of their and Leorio’s relationship. Killua was now sitting back up and looked like he was deep in thought.    


"Does he like me? Or was it just a goodbye thing?"    


"I don't know has he done anything like this before?"   


"I mean share a bed sometimes..."   


"Oh my..." Kurapika smirked and covered their mouth.    


"It's not like that! I swear we only sleep!" Killua looked distraught.   


"Okay okay I believe you. Do you cuddle or -"   


"That sounds so weird!"    


"Well do you?"   


"Yeah."    


"I don't think it was just a goodbye kiss."   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :0 i am so sorry this took so long i had a massive school project but its over now so hopefully this will get updated sooner !!

**Author's Note:**

> oh man i have this AU ready and I am so pumped yeehaw


End file.
